Opodo travel news

Spain is proving even more popular than ever as a European tourist hotspot, with a new study indicating record tourist arrivals in airports throughout the country in 2013.

The research, published by FRONTUR surveys, indicated that 60.6 million international arrivals were made last year, a figure that represents a jaw-dropping 5.6% year on year increase.

International visitors also spent an excess of 59 billion euros within the nation throughout the year - an extraordinary 9.6% rise.

Tourists from the UK, France and Nordic countries made up the majority of the visitors when it came to nationality, with British visitors responsible for 20.3% of money spent by foreigners within Spain.

However, the survey pointed out that a substantial increase in the Russian market was something to keep an eye on, with a 31.6% year on year growth recorded.

The survey added that Catalonia and the Canary Islands both received substantial increases in tourism figures in 2013.